The winter storm has hit the Upstate, northeast Georgia and the mountains, blanketing much of the area with snow, sleet and freezing night through Wednesday night.

The freezing rain in the southern Upstate has been enough to coat trees and powerlines. The area will be watching for power outages due to ice and wind on Wednesday night and early Thursday.

Cold temperatures kept the flakes smaller than Tuesday, but they are piling up fast with temps in the 20s.

Sleet pushed into the southern Upstate and got heavier through early evening. Freezing rain will become a concern during the later evening, mainly south of I-85.

This could cause power outages and tree damage, but so far, no power significant outages have been reported in the Upstate.

Wednesday night we'll see a wintry mix and even more snow, but amounts should be lighter overnight. A slow clearing is expected for Thursday, but we could still have snow and sleet around during the morning.

Through Thursday morning, the area could see 6 to 8 inches of snow for the central and northern parts of the Upstate, with lesser amounts south of I-85. Ice could build to over a quarter inch for spots like Greenwood and Abbeville along with other southern Upstate communities.

Be safe and avoid travel unless absolutely necessary. Click here to read more about road conditions and what officials are saying about the roads.

A state of emergency is in effect for South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety and the South Carolina Department of Transportation urges motorists to say off the roadways.